Former President Donald Trump criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and other “RINO” lawmakers who voted in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
“RINO” is an acronym for “Republican In Name Only” and is one of Trump’s favorite jabs at Republicans who he views as insufficiently conservative.
“How about all of those Republican Senators that voted thinking that helping the Democrats is such a wonderful thing to do, so politically correct,” Trump said in a statement on Sunday. “They just don’t get it! Now they’ll go for the big kill—getting their second $1.9 Trillion Bill (really $5 Trillion) approved, again with RINO support.”
The $1.9 trillion refers to Democrats’ social spending bill, with a price tag now sitting at $1.75 trillion. The package includes proposals to combat climate change, expand Medicare, and extend the child care tax credit.
The “really $5 Trillion” parenthetical is about outside estimates that the true cost of the bill would be about $1.5 trillion
“All Republicans who voted for Democrat longevity should be ashamed of themselves, in particular Mitch McConnell, for granting a two month stay which allowed the Democrats time to work things out at our Country’s, and the Republican Party’s, expense!” Trump said.
On Friday, the infrastructure bill passed the House with a 228-206 vote.
Thirteen Republicans voted in favor, while six Democrats from the Congressional Progressive Caucus voted against it.
On the Senate side, which passed the bill in August, the vote was 69-30, with 19 Republicans including McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) voting in support of it.